just in through the afternoon here in moscow in the headlines a top u.n. official says the united states jailing of whistleblower chelsea manning for refusing to testify against the wiki leaks founder is tantamount to torture. and learning to these day in hong kong sees hundreds of arrests as an estimated 1000000 for the 1st big anti beijing protest of this bright new year 2020. and the pushback against the droit january health initiative is french wine producers and the government denounce the annual alcohol abstinence as the takoma country's culture. hello welcome good afternoon and this is all to international live from moscow with

me kevin though it will be secure over the next half hour for a headline update this is the top story today a senior u.n. officials accusing the united states of torturing whistleblower chelsea manning with a continued incarceration a letter from the world body special report on torture to the u.s. government from last november as now only just come to light the practice of coercive diprivan of liberty for civil contempt involves the intentional infliction of progressively severe mental and emotional suffering for the purposes of coercion and intimidation at the order of judicial authorities such deprivation of liberty does not constitute a circumscribed sanction for a specific offense but an open ended progressively severe measure of coercion fulfilling all the constitutive elements of torture or other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. chelsea manning was a u.s. military intelligence analyst but was arrested in 2010 for leaking classified

information to wiki leaks she was convicted in 2013 to 35 years in prison then another twist president obama commuted his sentence just before leaving office but she was rearrested again she lost last year for declining to testify against wiki leaks publisher julian sarge that's where we are at the moment global affairs on this patrick henningsen says the u.n. letter now will be a boost for supporters of both manning and the or lawyer and activist kevin zeese explain to us how the law is being used he says to coerce manning. in a grand jury which is a secret process before someone is indicted or you know for it prosecutions occurring to determine whether someone should be prosecuted this is a power of the court to coerce someone into testifying now this law can allow a person in the united states to be held for the length of the grand jury in order to coerce them to testify before the grand jury and no longer serves the purpose it was intended to serve it's now become

a weapon of prosecutors it was initially designed to protect people who are being investigated the reason they're kept secret because it trying to protect people being investigated before they were indicted so you don't know that they're being investigated but in all manner serves our purpose and now serves the purpose of being a tool for prosecutors that's abused and i think chelsea manning is a victim of that abuse the report by nils meltzer does give an additional air of legitimacy to the case of manning to really back up all of the things that manning's supporters that its own supporters have been saying now for over 6 months this is unjust this is unfair they're trying to create something new this is the whole point of coerced trying to coerce manning to come up with something that the o.j. can use to make a real case against the sunday shows you how flimsy this is this is the degree degradation of the justice system in the united states and also in the u.k.

as well in the case of the songes more like more resembles a banana republic style facade of a state judicial apparatus this is all part of a campaign to reframe to reframe julian songe and wiki leaks as it is from a journalist and a publication to being a cyber criminal and a hostile foreign intelligence agency the entire case all the indictments against dishonor are based on that we frame in principle. and they are trying to get chelsea manning to give them something a key to actually make that narrative work and she's not she's not volunteering anything and this is frustrating the us system tremendously. well surely assad has a very much but he's also behind bars in a british prison after being dragged out of the door an embassy where he'd spent the previous 7 years of mourning his latest fate saskia taylor a correspondent. few buildings in the walls have come under as much scrutiny as

this one here at quick door and it's not in those 4 walls for 7 long years possibly the most famous whistle blower who time to get the sound was hauled up until 8 court 2019 to 48 rolls was sensationally dragged out by british authorities. that work for the wiki leaks founder this was a huge the trial by the latin american country that had sheltered him since 2012 aquittal said the relations had soured with the songe and his bad behavior triggered them opening the door to the police and revoking his asylum but it's worth noting that just a bit acquittals bank account got an almighty boost with a $4200000000.00 loan from the i.m.f. where the u.s. has huge voting rights a staunch is currently sitting in belmarsh prison in the country's capital serving

out to meet sentence but jumping bail in 2012 but many are saying that what he's actually been handed is a death sentence because over 60 doctors wrote an open letter to the u.k. government saying that he might die in prison britain for its part denies any wrongdoing the allegations mr son she was subjected to torture and founded and hold false the u.k. is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that no one is ever bomb it but london's defense rings hollow in light of the reports by many organizations including the new web which claims that as a scientist health continues to deteriorate authorities are simply standing idly by the blatant and sustained arbitrariness shown by both the judiciary and the government in this case suggest an alarming departure from the u.k.'s commitment to . rights and the rule of law unless the u.k. urgently changes course i believe yes the inhuman situation mr songes continued

exposure to arbitrariness and abuse may soon end up costing him his life but his songes battle for his well being is not only fight on his hands ever since wiki leaks exposed gross misconduct by the us government washington has been pushing for his extradition on espionage charges giving him a helping hand the british government despite international outcry the u.k. home secretary signed a us extradition request putting us on one step closer towards being charged for publishing classified information and conspiring to hack a top from a computer the 18 charges that washington has put forward could carry a maximum sentence of 175 years behind bars the reaction all over the wild people are crying foul they say that this is not a case about punishing a crime but of silencing

a voice surely in their singled out for special treatment for one reason only here's the truth he's such an innocent important man is because he is a freedom fighter however much you dislike. his case is the most important for me give you freedom this is just. miss rule of law and operation. washington's bid to get asylum stateside was also helped by not the european country sweden the scandinavian nation was investigating a rape allegation against the whistleblower and would have been within its rights to request his extradition to face trial since that case predated the u.s. request london would have been obliged to send a songe to stockholm fast but sweden has now closed that investigation conveniently removing the. final obstacle for the americans funny how it all wiped out

a songes extradition hearing is set for factory 2020 but in light of these recent talents of the band's fears of grabbing the does little charts of play this close to sure i mean what and so of course what news most of the united nations special report on torture said of how corrupt and how in stress that the entire system in the u.k. including the judiciary and the media has become when it comes to julian. you know before you call course earlier this year and this sort of was a confirmation that what neil smelters said seems to be true that you. just love to have a potential for severe trial into while one always hopes that may lead to justice and will prevail u.s. authorities have rather spared a client wired for a start so it might well turn out that when a country is dirty secrets are risk of being exposed justice is

a word that's up for interpretation sastre taylor r.t. london. hong kong saw the new year with more violent protests with rally organizers putting the turn more than a 1000000 the said there were around $400.00 arrests with police blaming radical protesters for causing the trouble. of. the. earth. police say a masked riot is recklessly vandalized public facilities in several areas with

ortiz move to where the rally earlier and then the clashes erupted washington's supported the protests from the outset of course but hong kong based political scientists joseph chen think has more to do with building wider political leverage against beijing. did united states part of we will support hong kong but don't know it's from a ministration most likely to hong kong issue and here we as human rights issues in china as bargaining chips to exert pressure on china people would like to see a novel nice asian process a reconciliation process but apparently 18 and the hong kong government have maintained their hotline stand and they have used to make any concessions to the protesters and to ducal democracy in walls. to talk past the hour taiwan's military's chief has been killed in a helicopter crash near the capital taipei the defense ministry said 7 others also

died but the remaining 5 on board survived we can report the blackhawk helicopter was heading from the capital to a base on the island's east coast but 30 minutes after takeoff it disappeared from radar and partly came down in a mountainous area not known yet why the aircraft got into such difficulty but an air force general told reporters that the helicopters condition was reportedly not ideal. so one of the decade $21.00 thing done and dusted let's take a look back for a minute or 2 at more of the events that defined the year just gone. was. let's put some money the machine and see what we're talking about for the 2900 lives so surely politically and beyond 2019 caused a fair bit of upheaval to a lot of people's lives worldwide but for some the march of modernity as we head into the 2020s is leaving more than

a few people fearing for their much loved heritage case in point we're going to talk about next let's take a look at one tradition seem to be under threat it's called dry january it's happening in france there is anger over a proposal to adopt dry january it's a month of sailing from alcohol basically off the excesses of the holidays of course french wine is a big part the dinner table as just as much as the food itself so the plan is not gone down too well shall do better ski than has some other ideas of how we can all freshened up from the new year hangover without having to put a cork in too much of the culture. when you raise a gloss of wine or beer in france it's customary to say soul say which means health but if you waking up with a sore head off the celebrations on new year's eve you may be wondering if all those songs done you any good after all and instead of trying a hair of the dog you might think that it's time to join the millions of others

across the world in having a little bit of a breather from alcohol that's right it's time for dry january a month of alcoholic abstinence it's been so popular in the angle from world that there were even plans to introduce it here in france but to the french who are famous for their love of a little plonk even you know what droid january is trying. no it's not possible it doesn't exist in france dry january i have not heard of it i have heard of many other traditions like move into is that it's something like that but with wine i don't think it's possible no no no not at all no with free no no i don't understand it this really exists so a person much or resoundingly nor perhaps all the more reason to kick start the idea given that alcohol kills tens of thousands of people in france every year

that's exactly what france's health agency salty public also wanted to do but after explaining to prisons what dry january is what they think about it. a month without drinking whole it's difficult for the french. i could try it but i'd rather not it would not be too pleasant without wine. the french are going to die. what would be the reaction i mean why. is like not eating because they're not used to it he drinks more than me i don't know how to respond it seems for once president might call really has his finger on the pulse on what the french are thinking for he's said to have fiercely opposed to promoting a moratorium on alcohol in january or perhaps it any time of the year and given the

choice will parisians be raising a normal colics all day for dry january well if they slaughter anything to go by probably not to dilute the i would prefer some tea maybe mixed with a bit of alcohol just a bit i'm like those women who drink discreetly in the kitchen fairly. happy for a while and frankly all this was in a small meal and even when you had it i prefer why you know. what wine is it if it's a very good wine then wine is. well that settles it to draw it january is definitely not a french thing and all not know it from us here in paris bone is salty. the same to you charlotte is now on the way more for reflections of the year just gone on the big screen and small some of the movies and shows the goddess all talking there right terrified all furious coming up after the break.

so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have it's crazy confrontation let it be an arms race in this on off and spearing dramatic development the only really i'm going to resist i don't see how that strategy will be successful very critical guy. you see. what politicians do. put themselves on the line they get accepted or rejected. so when you want to express. something wanted. to go right to the press this is what the. real people. interested in the why.

should. i get a life rush around the world this is out international great to pick up any this as if you stick around we're going to swing back now to some more the cultural highlights of the past year she wakes with a fabulous screen it wasn't all protest demos and trade wars we managed to escape into some decades of funny t.v. series of movies as well like this as press director's cut see what happens it meant saying goodbye to some long running blockbuster favorites while others left audience is deeply divided down hawkins takes a closer look. it's been a long hearing global news entry scandal uncertainty and cliffhangers we've seen it

all at least we could all wind down with a good movie everyone's favorite pastime bringing people together in a cinema or on the sofa well ok 29000 hasn't quite been like that. spring arrived bringing a monumental conclusion and epic game of thrones saga it won millions of fans around the world i mean do you even know anyone who hasn't seen at least one episode it even became a feature in international twitter diplomacy. it took 8 years to get literally everyone to jump on the west the rose by an wagon but just one series to get people fuming about the finale game of thrones season 8 has to be the most disappointing season finale of the decade. merry christmas to everyone except the people who like the game of throwing series finale. thinking

about how cursed we are to live in the time when we're both the game of thrones finale and the star wars finale sucked people even launched a petition to reshoot the final season nearly 2000000 signatures and still rising and if you thought breaks it was divisive don't get me started on that file episode and into thinking. i will. i was just really. after such division of viewers would desperate for some unity and in came should noble people flock to see the latest hit stand aside game of thrones as the draw more about the world's worst nuclear accident shot right up the t.v. rankings to normal is on fire. and every atom of uranium is like a bullet. with a mini series struck such a chord with viewers in both east and west it also struck some bones of contention

why were there no ethnic minority actors how accurate was the science why so many cliched stereotypes nope so noble couldn't please everyone either and with every new episode came a new take on just how accurate the drama was or wasn't their characters are distorted and misrepresented as if they were villains they were nothing like that the plan work is a shown as though they are scared of everything this does not reflect reality in reality they were quite decisive very decisive not one of the operators fled after the explosion is a composed calm intelligent man who never denied his responsibility also became the knight screw darker and so that our screens walk in phoenix's joker delved into the murky depths of society and the human mind. when you bring me out. introduce me as joker.

i and as the height grew so did the panic yeah people actually got worried that film could provoke members of the so-called community self pitying misfortune is that globally online trolls into violence alarm bells even rang in the us military soldiers billboard about the risk of attacks during screenings it was all right on the night there was no mass violence critics loved phoenix but were divided over the film itself and whatever you thought of it some people certainly took inspiration from the character mixing fantasy with the reality and certainly sparking debate. now and i have. had back. the listen of joy

because the movie radical change is needed this is not enough and this is what all those democratic leftists i'm not aware of this dissatisfaction the grows today is a serious one the system cannot deal with it with gradual reforms more tolerance to health care now it's a lot of themes of dystopia you know people don't really know where society is headed some people are loving the direction some are very scared and that's why movies like joker really speak to people another thing we're seeing is is that people are so sick of politics that they also just kind of want to zone out and they want something that's just just pure entertainment but the number one movie this year was a bender is the end game and i think that also speaks to it as well is that there's not really a political message in that it's just kind of eye candy and something to zone out to it's mindless entertainment and that's important i think to. people who are just sick of hearing about politics all the time because it affects

everything right. well that's enough controversy for tonight christmas is off for all the season of goodwill to all it seems as though people just love to have a good old squabble over things even the magical world of cinema just call please everyone unless of course you happen to be baby go to. be holding. the baby. and opens the door snapshots of the just go on talking which not this news bulletin goes well so much more from a star to dot com on our social media i'm kevin 0 in for me in the rest the team here in russia today season's greetings and thank you for watching. the world is driven by dream shaped by.

the bears thinks. we are here to ask. the guys you live but if she won you post the idea of the show with a shot at the balls more than those jeans knew the speech she me we you blew truth . about that come up and when you yes. it means i mean that with an inflection ball. a lot of people see sawing as if parts of the 2 kids each other both are the most called. discipline but as a little strange as it. is. by

alan had the last. ear in chief if you will stock god but i don't base doing it so . it was $38.00 for people who simply knew to manipulate in total. medical use long weeks last week audio. when you. present political points of

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welcome to the qantas report the 1st episode out of 2020. station are not going to have some really special guest right with us right now dr michael hudson dr mike lots of welcome to be here i was just curious i had his crazy image moment ago you know back in the seventy's 1970 s. there was a movie called death wish with charles bronson to remember that i remember that there was a sequel in the sequel to that right now sink in that we could do a remake you are the star you play the charles bronson role is called death wish and here vigilante banker economist that goes around new york blowing away bad debt where you think i love it and set that up you think you're ready to do that 2020 i would be a very good secretary of the treasury that's exactly what i would do i have a fantastic i'm not sure that's what we're talking my head into the ring actually we have elections coming up here in this year 2020 year of course part of our epic

new series front running so if you were made treasury secretary in 2020 what would you do this year 2020 so i guess you would come into office 2021 in january 2021 would be the 1st thing you did to fix this economy or whatever to sit down with the attorney general and say we're really going to apply the law and of course if you applied the law a lot of bankers would find themselves in jail yeah apply the law debt westray to the charles bronson of economists right i began to underline the quantitative easing but the interest rates rise again and that would leave a lot of banks pretty they could we would have some wonderful public banks citibank would be a public bank and chase and let interest either. guys and public banks wouldn't make lent loans for the stock market and speculation and for corporate takeovers we'd make loans to actually spend into the economy and i would oversee

a rebuilding of america's infrastructure questions i'm reading some northern european economists i forget which in there it's a fan letter sweden but there's a school of thought that believes in a natural rate for the interest which is roughly 4 to 5 percent believe that there is a natural rate of interest there was never been a natural rate of interest all rates of interest for the last 5000 years have been administered right any rate isn't administered is there a sweet spot for rates that they would hear you toward if a left alone and not interfered with by central banks if you believe in circular reasoning you believe in a natural rate of interest but it falls circular reasoning in that idea that somehow without government intervention if the economy could work without a government government somehow the private sector would equalize everything but that's never happened in history though this is all neoliberal austrian school fantasy you know you've reached your ear air flow in this remaking of death why.